There are so many digital camera filters on the market, finding the right one can be a daunting task. In digital photography, the need for camera filters is not as great. Much of the editing is done after the shot has been taken using photo editing software. There are however, some basic filters that will always be beneficial to photography. Here is a list of the top ten filters.
Circular Polarizer
A polarizer is one of the most important filters in your camera bag. A polarizer works by reducing the amount of light exposed to the camera’s sensor. This effect will make colors much more vibrant and appealing. A polarizer will also eliminate the reflection in a window or water, allowing the photographer to shoot through these obstacles with no interference. Polarizers are most often used in landscape photography, as it makes the contrast in colors stand out from each other. A circular polarizer is adjustable so the photographer can control the amount of light hitting the camera’s sensor.
Neutral Density
A neutral density filter is similar to a polarizer in the same way that is decreases the amount of light reaching the sensor. It differs by not eliminating reflections in windows or water. A neutral density filter is preferred when shooting waterfalls, as it allows the photographer to slow the shutter speed down more than he/she would be able to without it. This creates the misty or foggy illusion seen in many waterfall photographs, as seen in the photo on the left. Without a neutral density, or ND filter, the light would have been too great for the image, thus taking away the flowing feeling of the falls. When used properly the ND filter yields great benefits, but it needs to be used sparingly. An ND filter is very effective in reducing light and if left on the camera will hinder the camera’s capabilities in other shots.
UV & Haze Filters
A UV filter, or Ultra-Violet, is primarily used to help reduce sun flare in the lens of the camera. It also functions as a protective filter to keep the very expensive camera lens from getting scratched during use or storage. It has been said that the use of a UV filter can reduce the image quality if dust or small abrasions form on the surface of the filter. However, if small abrasions form the surface of the lens, the same problem will result. It is much cheaper to replace a scratched $15 filter than an $850 lens. With this in mind, the UV filter is probably the most important filter you can own.
Soft Focus
A soft focus filter is a versatile tool for creating beautiful, dream like photographs. The soft focus filter slightly blurs the image to join the different aspects of the photo together. It is primarily used in portrait photograph, as it gives a nice soft feeling to compliment skin tones and hide any blemishes. The image on the left uses a soft focus to give the photo a soft, relaxed feeling. Soft focus filters are not used as often in digital photography. Photographers will usually add this affect in an editing program, after the image has been taken. Either way, soft focus is a great addition to portrait photography.
Warming Filter
A warming filter comes in a few different colors such as gold, brown, or tan. The gold and brown filters are the most common as they add a warm feeling to an image. The warming filter adds a colored glow to an image to create richer tones to the subjects. It does this by altering the white balance of the image. They are especially useful on a cloudy day or shots with dreary lighting.
Gradient Filter
A gradient filter changes the light balance between the top and bottom of an image. They come in different colors to add a wide variety of possibilities for photographing landscapes. The image on the left shows how the gradient works. The filter is darker on top and slowly fades to clear as the filter moves downward. The image on the right uses a gradient blue filter to enhance the color of the sky and lightens in a downward progression to keep the boats well enough lit, to still remain noticeable in the image.
Infrared Filters
Infrared filters are primarily used in black and white photography. The filter allows infrared light to pass through the lens as it keeps out visible light. This effect creates amazing images coveted by many aspiring artists. The photo on the left uses an infrared filter to keep out the bright, overwhelming light and replace it with infrared rays. The result speaks for itself. This is an image of a live oak tree, adorned in Spanish moss.
Sepia Tone
Sepia tone filters change the color of a photograph to reflect the “old timey” feel of older black and white photographs. This filter is primarily used in portraits to give people a nostalgic feeling for their family photos. It can be used when photographing in color, but yields better results in black and white photography.
Spot Focus
A spot focus filter creates a special effect by keeping the center of the subject in focus and gradually blurring as it moves outward. This effect is often seen in portraits and close up photography as it adds unique elements to an image. This filter is not used as often with digital photography for the same reasons as mentinoed before. This filter does still deserve a place in any photographer’s camera bag.
Fog Filter
A fog filter can be used in many different ways. It can give an eerie feeling to peaceful scene, or a dreamlike quality to a rather dull scence. Fog filters add a white haze to an image, changing the aspect of the subject. The image on the left uses a fog filter to add an etheral sense to the scene. This affect is often added after the shot is taken, but when the opportunity presents itself, it creates great results.
Using filters in digital photography all depend on what the photographer’s desired outcome is. If you are certain you want a specific result, use the
filters to the best of its capability. The filters listed in this article are the most commonly used among many photographers. Filters allow the creative juices to flow, creating exceptional photographs.
Written by David Young. All images in this article were taken by and property of DKY Photo and can be found on David’s website, www.thereallifeexperiment.com.
There are so many camera filters on the market, finding the right one can be a daunting task. In digital photography, the need for camera filters is not as great. Much of the editing is done after the shot has been taken using photo editing software. There are however, some basic filters that will always be beneficial to photography. Here is a list of the top ten filters.
Circular Polarizer
A polarizer is one of the most important filters in your camera bag. A polarizer works by reducing the amount of light exposed to the camera’s sensor. This effect will make colors much more vibrant and appealing. A polarizer will also eliminate the reflection in a window or water, allowing the photographer to shoot through these obstacles with no interference. Polarizers are most often used in landscape photography, as it makes the contrast in colors stand out from each other. A circular polarizer is adjustable so the photographer can control the amount of light hitting the camera’s sensor.
Neutral Density
A neutral density filter is similar to a polarizer in the same way that is decreases the amount of light reaching the sensor. It differs by not eliminating reflections in windows or water. A neutral density filter is preferred when shooting waterfalls, as it allows the photographer to slow the shutter speed down more than he/she would be able to without it. This creates the misty or foggy illusion seen in many waterfall photographs, as seen in the photo on the left. Without a neutral density, or ND filter, the light would have been too great for the image, thus taking away the flowing feeling of the falls. When used properly the ND filter yields great benefits, but it needs to be used sparingly. An ND filter is very effective in reducing light and if left on the camera will hinder the camera’s capabilities in other shots.
UV & Haze Filters
A UV filter, or Ultra-Violet, is primarily used to help reduce sun flare in the lens of the camera. It also functions as a protective filter to keep the very expensive camera lens from getting scratched during use or storage. It has been said that the use of a UV filter can reduce the image quality if dust or small abrasions form on the surface of the filter. However, if small abrasions form the surface of the lens, the same problem will result. It is much cheaper to replace a scratched $15 filter than an $850 lens. With this in mind, the UV filter is probably the most important filter you can own.
Soft Focus
A soft focus filter is a versatile tool for creating beautiful, dream like photographs. The soft focus filter slightly blurs the image to join the different aspects of the photo together. It is primarily used in portrait photograph, as it gives a nice soft feeling to compliment skin tones and hide any blemishes. The image on the left uses a soft focus to give the photo a soft, relaxed feeling. Soft focus filters are not used as often in digital photography. Photographers will usually add this affect in an editing program, after the image has been taken. Either way, soft focus is a great addition to portrait photography.
Warming Filter
A warming filter comes in a few different colors such as gold, brown, or tan. The gold and brown filters are the most common as they add a warm feeling to an image. The warming filter adds a colored glow to an image to create richer tones to the subjects. It does this by altering the white balance of the image. They are especially useful on a cloudy day or shots with dreary lighting.
Gradient Filter
A gradient filter changes the light balance between the top and bottom of an image. They come in different colors to add a wide variety of possibilities for photographing landscapes. The image on the left shows how the gradient works. The filter is darker on top and slowly fades to clear as the filter moves downward. The image on the right uses a gradient blue filter to enhance the color of the sky and lightens in a downward progression to keep the boats well enough lit, to still remain noticeable in the image.
Infrared Filters
Infrared filters are primarily used in black and white photography. The filter allows infrared light to pass through the lens as it keeps out visible light. This effect creates amazing images coveted by many aspiring artists. The photo on the left uses an infrared filter to keep out the bright, overwhelming light and replace it with infrared rays. The result speaks for itself. This is an image of a live oak tree, adorned in Spanish moss.
Sepia Tone
Sepia tone filters change the color of a photograph to reflect the “old timey” feel of older black and white photographs. This filter is primarily used in portraits to give people a nostalgic feeling for their family photos. It can be used when photographing in color, but yields better results in black and white photography.
Spot Focus
A spot focus filter creates a special effect by keeping the center of the subject in focus and gradually blurring as it moves outward. This effect is often seen in portraits and close up photography as it adds unique elements to an image. This filter is not used as often with digital photography for the same reasons as mentinoed before. This filter does still deserve a place in any photographer’s camera bag.
Fog Filter
A fog filter can be used in many different ways. It can give an eerie feeling to peaceful scene, or a dreamlike quality to a rather dull scence. Fog filters add a white haze to an image, changing the aspect of the subject. The image on the left uses a fog filter to add an etheral sense to the scene. This affect is often added after the shot is taken, but when the opportunity presents itself, it creates great results.
Using filters in digital photography all depend on what the photographer’s desired outcome is. If you are certain you want a specific result, use the
filters to the best of its capability. The filters listed in this article are the most commonly used among many photographers. Filters allow the creative juices to flow, creating exceptional photographs.
Written by David Young. All images in this article were taken by and property of DKY Photo and can be found on David’s website, www.thereallifeexperiment.com.Top Ten Camera Filters
There are so many camera filters on the market, finding the right one can be a daunting task. In digital photography, the need for camera filters is not as great. Much of the editing is done after the shot has been taken using photo editing software. There are however, some basic filters that will always be beneficial to photography. Here is a list of the top ten filters.
Circular Polarizer
A polarizer is one of the most important filters in your camera bag. A polarizer works by reducing the amount of light exposed to the camera’s sensor. This effect will make colors much more vibrant and appealing. A polarizer will also eliminate the reflection in a window or water, allowing the photographer to shoot through these obstacles with no interference. Polarizers are most often used in landscape photography, as it makes the contrast in colors stand out from each other. A circular polarizer is adjustable so the photographer can control the amount of light hitting the camera’s sensor.
Neutral Density
A neutral density filter is similar to a polarizer in the same way that is decreases the amount of light reaching the sensor. It differs by not eliminating reflections in windows or water. A neutral density filter is preferred when shooting waterfalls, as it allows the photographer to slow the shutter speed down more than he/she would be able to without it. This creates the misty or foggy illusion seen in many waterfall photographs, as seen in the photo on the left. Without a neutral density, or ND filter, the light would have been too great for the image, thus taking away the flowing feeling of the falls. When used properly the ND filter yields great benefits, but it needs to be used sparingly. An ND filter is very effective in reducing light and if left on the camera will hinder the camera’s capabilities in other shots.
UV & Haze Filters
A UV filter, or Ultra-Violet, is primarily used to help reduce sun flare in the lens of the camera. It also functions as a protective filter to keep the very expensive camera lens from getting scratched during use or storage. It has been said that the use of a UV filter can reduce the image quality if dust or small abrasions form on the surface of the filter. However, if small abrasions form the surface of the lens, the same problem will result. It is much cheaper to replace a scratched $15 filter than an $850 lens. With this in mind, the UV filter is probably the most important filter you can own.
Soft Focus
A soft focus filter is a versatile tool for creating beautiful, dream like photographs. The soft focus filter slightly blurs the image to join the different aspects of the photo together. It is primarily used in portrait photograph, as it gives a nice soft feeling to compliment skin tones and hide any blemishes. The image on the left uses a soft focus to give the photo a soft, relaxed feeling. Soft focus filters are not used as often in digital photography. Photographers will usually add this affect in an editing program, after the image has been taken. Either way, soft focus is a great addition to portrait photography.
Warming Filter
A warming filter comes in a few different colors such as gold, brown, or tan. The gold and brown filters are the most common as they add a warm feeling to an image. The warming filter adds a colored glow to an image to create richer tones to the subjects. It does this by altering the white balance of the image. They are especially useful on a cloudy day or shots with dreary lighting.
Gradient Filter
A gradient filter changes the light balance between the top and bottom of an image. They come in different colors to add a wide variety of possibilities for photographing landscapes. The image on the left shows how the gradient works. The filter is darker on top and slowly fades to clear as the filter moves downward. The image on the right uses a gradient blue filter to enhance the color of the sky and lightens in a downward progression to keep the boats well enough lit, to still remain noticeable in the image.
Infrared Filters
Infrared filters are primarily used in black and white photography. The filter allows infrared light to pass through the lens as it keeps out visible light. This effect creates amazing images coveted by many aspiring artists. The photo on the left uses an infrared filter to keep out the bright, overwhelming light and replace it with infrared rays. The result speaks for itself. This is an image of a live oak tree, adorned in Spanish moss.
Sepia Tone
Sepia tone filters change the color of a photograph to reflect the “old timey” feel of older black and white photographs. This filter is primarily used in portraits to give people a nostalgic feeling for their family photos. It can be used when photographing in color, but yields better results in black and white photography.
Spot Focus
A spot focus filter creates a special effect by keeping the center of the subject in focus and gradually blurring as it moves outward. This effect is often seen in portraits and close up photography as it adds unique elements to an image. This filter is not used as often with digital photography for the same reasons as mentinoed before. This filter does still deserve a place in any photographer’s camera bag.
Fog Filter
A fog filter can be used in many different ways. It can give an eerie feeling to peaceful scene, or a dreamlike quality to a rather dull scence. Fog filters add a white haze to an image, changing the aspect of the subject. The image on the left uses a fog filter to add an etheral sense to the scene. This affect is often added after the shot is taken, but when the opportunity presents itself, it creates great results.
Using filters in digital photography all depend on what the photographer’s desired outcome is. If you are certain you want a specific result, use the
filters to the best of its capability. The filters listed in this article are the most commonly used among many photographers. Filters allow the creative juices to flow, creating exceptional photographs.
Written by David Young. All images in this article were taken by and property of DKY Photo and can be found on David’s website, www.thereallifeexperiment.com.
